Otters spotted in the South Hams

An otter has been spotted and photographed in the River Avon. 

Richard Curzon, Loddiswell Station and secretary of the Kingsbridge and District Camera Club, captured these incredible shots of an otter in the River Avon between Loddiswell and Woodleigh today. 

Richard Curzon 

Richard said: "I was sat by the riverbank with my feet dangling in the water looking upstream. Out of the corner of my eye, not four feet away from me, was an almighty 'splash'.  

"'That's a big fish!' was my first thought. Then, as it proceeded to jump out several more times in quick succession, I realised I'd just come the closest I've ever been to a wild otter.

"The next 20 minutes passed by in what felt more like 20 seconds as I watched this magnificent creature fishing and playing as it made its way slowly upstream.

"We last saw an otter with our own eyes here way back in 2014 (albeit very briefly). Over the years since I've captured images of them on a trail camera, seen lots of footprints and even a discarded half-eaten fish! But today has to go right to the very top of my 'up close and personal' wildlife experience. 

"It is also such positive news for the health of the river: they wouldn’t be hanging around if there wasn’t such a good supply of fish to sustain them." 

All photos credit Richard Curzon